FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April XX, 2026

Contact: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Webinar to Explore Public Health Risks of Counterfeit Pills

MILLBURN, NJ – The next webinar in the 2026 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series will focus on the growing dangers of counterfeit pills in a session titled “Public Health Risks of Counterfeit Pills.” The free session will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 23, and is presented by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA).

The webinar will feature Dr. Joseph Friedman, a resident physician and substance use researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Friedman will discuss the public health risks associated with counterfeit pills and their role in the evolving overdose crisis.

“Counterfeit pills have made the drug crisis even more dangerous because people often have no idea what they are taking,” said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “This webinar will help shine a light on that risk and give people a better understanding of why awareness, education, and prevention are so important right now.

The Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series has reached over 10,000 participants annually, providing continuing education to professionals in healthcare, behavioral health, emergency services, and community leadership. Since its launch in 2020, the series has featured national and state-level experts who bring a multidisciplinary perspective to combating opioid misuse.

The initiative is part of the broader Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day campaign, held statewide on October 6, which brings together communities and prescribers to raise awareness about the risks of opioid misuse. In 2025 alone, New Jersey saw 1,312 suspected overdose deaths, underscoring the need for sustained, inclusive outreach and education.

To register for the webinar and learn more, visit: knockoutday.drugfreenj.org

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Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.